Method and apparatus for preserving sterile suture material for medicinal purposes ready for use



Aug.y 30, 1938. f E. GELlNsKY 2,128,70 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PRESERVING STERILE SUTURE lMTERIIVJ; FOR MEDICINAL PURPOSES READY FQR USE Filed Sept. 26, 1934 f' v ticularlyv in the case of catgut,

0 suture material which is always Patented Aug. 3o, 193s METHOD AND APPAaA'rUs Fon PRESERV- ING .s'rEmLE sU'rURE MATERIAL Fon ME- DICINAL PURPOSES lREADY FOR USE Ernst Gelinsky, Berlin, Germany v 'Application september 26, 1934, serial No. 745,631

` In Germany October 16, 1933 v claim.A (o1. 12s-3355) l This invention comprises an improved method and apparatus forpreserving sterile suture mate-l rial for medicinal purposes ready for use.

Suture material for medicinal purposes made sterileready for use is stored either dry or moist. When stored in the dry state, it is usually wrapped in paper and supplied to the consumer enclosed in cardboard boxes. The thread remains sterile until it is used, but on account of its dryness, parit has the disad-y vantage that it is brittle, and knots made with it do not hold well. For this reason the catgut thread is employed for example in clinics, usually in the moistcondition, by placing it in alcohol or 16 other liquids which are sterilized with difficulty or are maintained germ-free by added disinfectants. The storing of thefsuture materialis effected in glass troughs and the like, and necessitates conl siderable care and trouble, although in regard to 20 the sterility the .result is not always commensurate with the trouble taken. Such suture material which is prepared moist in large quantities ready for use, can only be transported under very great dimculty. In addition, in view of the fact that the vessels are left open during use, it is doubtful whether the thread is maintained sterile.

The present invention eliminates the defects and disadvantages enumerated in the foregoing,

and for the first time permits the use of -sterile ready for use anywhere and at any vtime down to the last remaining portion. i

According' to this inventionl suture material is preserved in a. sterile manner even during use by embedding the same in a sterile or disinfectant plastic mass, which may be `either a semi-soft (even without heating) unctuous mass consisting of 'known mixtures e. g. wax, paraiiin, petroleum i jelley, tragacanth, etc., or by embedding the 40 suture material in sterile or disinfectant liquids (benzine, alcohol and the like) or in'solutions of disinfectants e". g. 'which'4 are rendered plastic.

This latter method may be carried outby causing to be formed high molecular organic acid salts such as resinic a d salts or fatty acid salts or salts from inorganic ,tetrachlorides etc., in these liquids or solutions,the result being the formation of a plastic mass suitable for use in carrying out my present invention, as will be described. y

The plastic mass thus formed has the physical properties of a solid and the bacteriological propt erties of a liquid. ,f

' Containers of glass, hard and soft .metals and other materials in any formare suitable for containing the sewing material which is surrounded by the plastic mass'in which the is embedded. for storage until The methods which have suitable for absorbable surgical suture material use. been described are suture material and are also useful for the preservation of non- 5 absorbable suture material.

A- method of packing is shown more particularly in its details' in the accompanying dr awing, but

the application is not restricted to this method.

Referring to the drawing,

in a vessel A is aroller 10 B on which the catgut thread C is wound. D are various knots in the because such thread can be of only. .The vessel A which may or any other suitable material,

thread which are necessary a limited length be made of glass j such as sheet l5 metal, articial or synthetic substances or the like is closed on the underside by is sealed at F by seaming, screwing or the'bottom E. which the like, if

desired with the interposition of a packing, after the roller B has been inserted into the vessel. In 20 the vessel which for example'maybe made rather flat in shape, there may b ments G against which e provided lateral abutthe projecting ends ofthe roller B can abut during the pulling off ofthe catgut thread C,'in order ment and jamming of Likewise it is possible in a previously sterilized' bottle, if

thereby to avoid the roller B in the vessel A. for the thread to be wound displacer25 desired round a glass rod mounted in bearings suitably disposed in the glassvessel, the said rod about its longitudinal axis. The with a sterile plastic mass material is embedded and l readily withdrawn for immediate As an example of one specific disinfectant that 35v maybe used we give the following,

upof two solutions: V

Solution A: 2.0 cc. acid carbol.` per cent alcohol; andl Solution B: 10.0

being rotatable 30. vessel A is filled Hin which the suture from which it maybe use.

which is made in 98.0 cc. of 96 grams of acid palmitic dis- 40 solved with the application of heat in v100.0 c'c. of

84 per cent alcohol, saponied to with a corresponding neutral reaction quantity "(about 14.0 cc.) of

a 10 per cent solution of caustic soda;

Equal parts by'volume of these two solutions 45 are mixed with the application of gut is embedded in the still uid upon cooling solidifies into a plastic mass.'

ably provided in the neck of the heat. The catmixture, which v Suitvessel A and/or in a closure member K are wiping devices J, 50

which may for example comprise wires or the like extending towards each other in a conical formation, and wiping the thread C during its withdrawal, such that the adherent fi is wiped `0E as far as possible. In

lling material H thesaid closure 55 member are membranes for example L, L', L", made of resilient material provided in the centre with ailne opening through which the thread C and if necessary also the'knots D are drawn, 'the membrane openings bearing perfectly tightly, resiliently and firmly on all sides against the thread C. For example, the two diaphragms L, L' may be made of rubber perforated or incised for the passage of the suture. There may also be yplaced between the membranes an absorbent layer M, for example of kieselguhr or some other absorbent material. In additionto providing a I further meticulous wiping, this arrangement also prevents the thread from slipping back. When not in use, the vessel A is rmly closed by a wellfitting cover T.

In order to be able to handle the commercial packing in a manner which ensures' sterility to a degree comparable with the handling of metal instmments, which can be boiled,aftwo part metal case N which can be made sterile by boiling is provided, and the vessel A is enclosed in the said case. The thread is then drawn through a hole O in the lid P. In some cases, in the absence of other wiping devices, a resilient clamp for a tampon or swab may be provided above'the said lid, a freshly sterilized tampon being inserted in the said clamp on each occasion. The thread is `thendrawn 'through the said tampon. The assistant may also hold the tampon in front of the opening for the thread, all wiping devices being thereby eliminated and the ,threads may be wiped in this manner, since the sterility of the vessel permits this. Such a vessel N with lid P can be carried about at any time and everywhere, so that sewing is always carried out in a reliably sterile manner. M

By the use of the invention which has been descrlbed,1 all of the advantages of a solid embedding material for the sterilized mass of suture material to be stored orl preserved until ready for use, are attained. Thus, the air-tight sealing of the containing vessel to prevent evaporation,`

necessary in a liquid antiseptic suture is immersed, is unnecessar the holder if accidentally overturned does not lose the sterile body or mass in which the suture is embedded,

into which the and yet, because of its plastic nature, the thread' vof suture material may be drawn out at any time and to any extent and the spool or other carryingy support for the embedded mass of suture material may be turned as becomes necessary when the suture is withdrawn.

I claim:-

1. A method of preserving suture material for medicinal purposes in a sterile state before and during use by storing the same in high molecular organic acid salts. in solution which when cool solidify into a plastic mass.

2. A-method for preserving suture material for medicinal purposes in a sterile mannerbefore and during use, by storing the same in sterilized resinic acid solutions which are solidified by the addition of a base into a plastic mass.

3. A method of preserving suture material for medicinal purposes in a sterile manner before and during use by storing the same in sterilized higher fatty acid solutions which are solidied by the additionv of a base into a plastic mass.

4. A method of preserving absorbable suture material for medicinal purposes in a sterile manner before and during use by storing the same in sterile higher fatty acid solutions which are solidied by the addition of a base into a plastic mass.

5. A method of preserving nonabsorbable suture material for medicinal purposes in a sterile manner before and during use by storing the same in sterilized higher fatty acid solutions which are Vsolidiiled by the addition of a base into a plastic mass.

6. A method of preserving suture material for medicinal purposes in a sterile manner before and during use by storing the same in liquids whichv have been made disinfectant by the addition of disinfectants and which are solidified into a Plastic mass by the addition of resini'c acid and a base.

7. A method of preserving suture material for medicinal purposes in a sterile manner before and during use by storing the same in liquids which have been made disinfectant by the addition of disinfectants and which are solidified into a plastic mass by the addition of fatty acid anda base ERNST darirrqsrnr.- 

